Improvement in rotary steam-engines



form nUrUs D. Pnrrrfr, or BALD'wiNsvrLLE, New

YORK.

i IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification formngipart of Letters Patent No. 72.537, dated December 24, 1867.

To all whom it 'may concern: y

Be it known that I, RUFUS D. PETTIT, of Baldwinsville, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engine, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact vdescription thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art Ato make and use the same, reference being had to the' accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section, taken in the line ,y y, Fig. 2, and Fig. 2is avertical cross-section, taken in the lineas x, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the accompanying cylinder or shell; B is wheel, which is secured carries the pistons.

The shell A has two abntments, Ev E, so that the steam-space or working-chamber is divided into two parts, D D. f

F F are the pistons, which slide radially in suitable slots in the central disk B, and have each a head, f, on their inner end, which works in a chamber, Gr, into which steam is admitted for throwing the pistons out. On the rear side ot' each piston is a small steam-passage, H, leading through the disk B to the chamber Gr, and 011 the opposite side ofeach piston is a similar steam-passage, h.

The passages H are to admit steam to the inner ends of the pistons while the engine is going ahead, and the opposite passages h perthe same duty when the engine is re- Eaeh set of passages H h has a valve,

drawings, A is the the central disk or to the shaft b, and

versed.

I, which is suspended by a wrist or head, t', in such manner as to swing freely, and close one ofthe passages, H or h, while the steam for throwing out the piston is entering the opposite passage.

J J are metallic packings for the abntments, and they are made adjustable by set-serewsj j.

There are two exhausts, K K, for going 7c, for reversing There are also two inductiongoing ahead, and another set L l, for reversing the motion of ahead, and two exhausts, k the engine. pipes, L L, for of inductions, the engine.

M M are packing-rings, which are made sufficiently wide to cover the entire sides of the working-chambers D D, so that any wear on the sides of the pistons F can be taken up by means of set-serews m and the packingrings M M'. onto the outer edge of the center disk B, (as shown at B D, Fig. 2,) so that all rubbing parts in the steam-space are kept tight by these rings, except the outer ends of the pistons, which are pressed out by steam in the chambers, G, so that a tight joint is obtained at their outer ends; and as their ends become worn they move farther out, and thus all wear on the ends of the pistons is taken up.

The abutments E have longitudinal slits or channels, n., in their inclnes, which allow the steam in front of an approaching piston (after it has passed the exhaust) to escapeto the rear side of the piston.

Its operation is as follows: When the engine is to be run ahead, the exhausts k k are closed,

and also the inductions l l, and the exhausts and inductions K K L L are brought int-o use; f

backward, this but for running the engine order of the parts is reversed. Steam enters the two working-chambers D D simultaneously, from the inductions L L, and the engi-ne moves forward. As a piston, F, reaches an abutment, it is pushed into the center disk B by the incline of the abutment, as usual; but after passing the abutment, steam from the induction L acts down the passage H, and, throws the valve I over, so as to close the opposite passage, h, and at the same time throws out the piston F, so that a steady pressure is obtained in the chamber Gr, for holding the piston out against the outer shell of the cylinA der during the remainder of the stroke. The channels a, in the approaches to the abutments, prevent steam from choking the advance of a piston after it has passed its exhaust, and also, where double-inclined abutments are used, forming behind a piston when leaving an abutment, and before it has passed the induction. The packing-rings MM' are so broad as to cover the entire sides of the working-chambers, and represent adjustable side walls for said chambers.

The packing-rin gs M M also lap they prevent any vacuum 'By these means I obtain an engine which, steam-chambers and conduits GHL, Valves I, owing to its being balanced, and to the easy and packingrings M M', all constructed, aradjustment of all Wearing' parts', has less wear ranged, and operating substantially as and for and Friction and greater endurance than ordithe purpose specified.

narily. The above specification of' my invention Having thus described my invention, what signed by lne this 17th day of October, 1867.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters n Patent, is` RUFUS D. Plyl'lll.

The combination of the cylinder A, exhausts Witnesses:

K K lc k, inductions L Ll Z, abutments E E, STANLY BOGG,

disk B, and sliding pistons F, with actuating k CHARLES PRESTON. 

